Are You on a Burn-Out Track?

High production is linked with taking adequate personal time. Here are four ways to start.

By Jerry Pujals

Many businesspeople feel guilty spending time with their families
or pursuing personal interests. They feel they must be available
for their clients at all times—weekends and evenings, if need
be. If you look at many people’s business cards, you’ll
see they give out their cell phone number, home number and even their
home address. Unknowingly, they are setting the expectation that
they are available 24-7, rain or shine, in sickness or in health.
And that’s no way to run a business.

The fact is: You cannot work 90 hours a
week and be a millionaire. Sure, you may be able to pull it off
for a short period of time,
but fairly quickly something will start to fall apart. Maybe it’ll
be your marriage or your health. Whatever it is, you can be sure
it will happen.

While you should be accessible to your
clients, you must also set some boundaries. Top producers—the ones who consistently
earn at high levels—always have family and personal time
built into their schedules. Always! If you’re new to the
business, then it’s more than likely you will have to work
weekends to get yourself established. That’s fine. But you
must still plan some other time off.

If you’re established in the business and you are still
working every weekend, then you need to look at how efficient you
are. Are you sticking to your schedule? Once your business is established,
there’s no reason for you to be working seven days a week.

It’s time to get your work and personal
lives back in balance. Here are some ways to get started.

1. Don’t hide your schedule.
It’s your responsibility to tell clients what your days off
are—they can’t read your mind. So, if a client asks
you to meet with him on a day you have scheduled to be off, you
must set the expectation. Don’t meet with him anyway and
then be mad he made you work on your day off. The client did not
make you work on your day off; you made yourself work on your day
off.

2. Schedule your personal events.
People often wonder what kind of personal things they should put
in their schedule. Schedule whatever is important to you. You
may want to add such activities as your kid’s sports events,
dinner with your spouse, time to work on your favorite hobby,
commitments to personal groups or clubs you belong to, etc. There’s
no right or wrong thing to schedule.

3. Be accountable.
Putting these items in your schedule is only the first step. You
also need to keep these obligations. Enlist help. Perhaps your
spouse can hold you accountable for your scheduled “date
nights,” and your kids can remind you of their events.
Be sure to tell your family and friends what you’re scheduling
in your planner. When they know you have time set aside for them,
they’ll help ensure you keep your word.

4. Create work-free days.
When you’re starting out in the business, you must have at
least one full day to recharge your batteries—a day when
you completely unplug from the office and clients. Don’t
take any phone calls, return any emails or even think about work.
This is a day just for you. This may sound scary, but the office
won’t fall apart without you. And your clients won’t
abandon you just because you take a day off. Remember, set the
expectation upfront and no one will mind.

As your business grows, or if you’re already established
in the business, you should take at least two days off a week.
They don’t have to be two consecutive days (although that
is best), and they don’t have to be on the weekend. Because
you are established, you can accomplish more in less time, so there’s
no reason to work more than five days a week. Also, when you produce
at higher levels, your brain and body will require more relaxation
time so you can stay at peak performance.

Remember, a positive attitude, enthusiasm
and a love of the business are the traits that propel people
to the top, and you can’t
possess those traits consistently if you’re not allowing
yourself time to rest.

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Jerry Pujals is an expert on sales,
training and motivation, and the author of the
book Secrets
to Real Estate Success.
His practical tools and techniques have consistently placed him
in the top 1 percent of real estate agents in the United States.
Contact him at 707-226-6985 orwww.jpsalessystems.com.